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How To Spot A Fake Chanel Classic Flap Bag

How To Spot A Fake Chanel Flap Bag

Chanel has long reigned as the top mogul in the fashion industry. Being so popular and timeless, Chanel handbags along with many other luxury designer handbags have easily been targeted to the quick dollar replica industry. Chanel classic flap bag replicas are one of the many handbag knock-offs that have flooded the fashion industry for years. Want to know how to spot a fake Chanel classic flap bag easily? It’s all in the detail!

It’s all about craftsmanship with Chanel, hence the reason why the brand is so luxurious and pricey. Only the best of the best materials are used in Chanel handbags, accessories and clothing. You get what you pay for and with Chanel, you’re paying for quality and wonderful artisan work that resembles timeless masterpieces. If you’re deciding whether to purchase a Chanel Classic flap bag, these key pointers should be kept in the back of your mind when you purchase. There are many knock-off designer handbags and accessories throughout the market and if you don’t know what to look for, you could be spending your money on something that will never bring you money in return. Chanel handbags have a high residual for resale. SellYourHandbag of Boca Raton, Florida is one of the leading buyers and sellers of pre-owned luxury designer handbags and accessories. Their experienced buyers have seen it all, especially when it comes to replica handbags. They can spot a fake from miles away! If you’re interested in selling your authentic Chanel handbag, be sure to check out their website to learn how to sell your bag for quick cash!

The Quality of the Leather

Chanel created their Classic flap bag with top quality lambskin. Lambskin is very expensive to use, has a smooth butter-like texture, and is very delicate.

Notice the Replica Chanel bag on the right. The quilted design is “puffy” and plastic-like. It is certainly not lambskin, and looks cheap. The Classic Chanel Flap Bag on the left, which is authentic, has visible stress marks due to age on the Lambskin leather. The leather is smooth, thick, and strong.

Stitching and Quilting

When it comes with craftsmanship, Chanel doesn’t play. You won’t see loose threads, and the stitch count is very specific. Anything less than ten stitches on a quilted diamond is considered a fake. As you can see in the Replica picture, the stitch count is less than 10, which makes the fabric look puffy, loose and unprofessional. The stitching on the left, in the authentic photo, shows the Chanel lambskin pulled nice and tight, with flap diamond quilts, and straight stitching. Also another thing to keep in mind is the diamond quilts. The diamonds are consistent throughout the entire bag. The stitching follows through when the flap is open and closed throughout the front and back of the flap bag. Replica Chanel bags, on occasion will not continue the pattern correctly throughout the bag, however there are replicas that have learned to continue the pattern to make their bag seem more authentic.

Hardware

Chanel hardware was designed to resemble 24k gold. The gold tone is not lighter, nor darker. You can also see in the above picture that the replica CC twist lock is much lighter in gold tone than the authentic CC twist lock. The Chanel CC logo on the replica is also more round along the edges and much thinner in width than the authentic logo. Be aware that if in authentic CC Chanel logos, the right C always overlaps the left C. If you see this opposite, you know it’s a fake! The classic flap bag was designer with a link and leather braided shoulder strap. The leather in the strap must be consistent with the leather on the exterior of the bag, and each link must be braided carefully with the leather. If a stitch or thread is frayed, then most likely the bag is not real.

Interior Specifics

On a classic Chanel Lambskin flap bag, the Chanel gold foil stamp must always be printed underneath the CC stitched logo on the back of the second flap. The gold foil manufacture stamp or “Made in..” stamp is always printed mirror to the Chanel stamp, on the opposite side of the bag. The two stamps are only printed on the same side if the bag is a Caviar flap bag. See below.

The Chanel “CC” logo stitched on the back of the second flap is important to look at as well when deciphering if a Chanel bag is authentic or not. The width between the first C, the second C, and the width in between the two C’s should be equal. If the CC logo does not have equal width, it is deemed not authentic. See picture below for example. Chanel pays particular attention to these individual details which sets them apart from the replica handbags.

The interior lining should NOT be easy to separate from the interior of the bag. The lining should be sewn snug, with no loose fabric. If you are capable of separating the lining easily, and notice lumps in the fabric, it is a sign of a poorly constructed handbag.

Serial Code and Authenticity Card

Chanel started their serial code stickers back in 1984, which stand for the model and year the bag was manufactured. Depending upon the year of your bag, the serial number can contain 6, 7 or 8 digits. If you’re serial number contains more or less, it is probably unauthentic. Prior to 1984, Chanel did not have serial stickers, so if you happen to own a vintage Chanel, no worries, it may still be authentic without the sticker, and honestly the serial codes were literally just “stickers” so they could have easily fallen off.

The serial numbers with 6 digits range from the years between 1984-1986. If the serial numbers contain 7 digits, they range between the years of 1986-2004. A serial number with 8 digits range between the years of 2005 to present day.

Now the authenticity card is the easiest thing to replicate on a Chanel bag or accessory. The most important things to look out for is the way the card was cut, if it has a rainbow hologram effect, and how the card feels. The cards should NEVER have a rainbow hologram effect. The Chanel authenticity cards should resemble an actual credit card, with weight being key. The cut of the card should be consistent throughout and there should be a gold foil border around the card. If you notice a card with a white circle on the top right hand corner, the authenticity card and bag were produced from 2005 to present day.

As Chanel continues to soar through the fashion industry, times will change where we must be more cautious on what we look for in a Chanel flap bag. Knock-off companies will become more specific in their replicas and will begin to use more complex fabrics and hardware to try to beat out the authentic bags. It’s important to know if your Chanel bag is authentic or not for resale purposes. A Chanel bag that is authentic will always keep its value. We hope these little tidbits help you in your future search for your next Chanel classic flap bag.